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The remains of a mother aged 34 and her 10-year-old daughter have been located inside freezing appliances in an apartment in the western part of Austria.

The victims, a Syrian woman and her child, who had been unaccounted for for several months, were found on Friday. The cooling units were placed behind a false wall in the dwelling, situated in the Innsbruck area.

A pair of males, a Austrian man, 55 and his 53-year-old brother, were arrested in the month of June. The elder brother, a colleague of the Syrian woman, stated to law enforcement last week that there had been an unfortunate event—but disputed murder.

Addressing journalists recently, a representative for the state prosecutor said the pair were being kept in custody on "serious suspicion of homicide".

The identities of those concerned have been withheld by police, in following Austrian law.

The family's disappearance was initially flagged by the female victim's relative, who lives in Germany, on the 25th of July last year.

Police said the woman's colleague told them at the time she had gone on an prolonged visit with her daughter to see her family in Turkey.

Her bank card was then discovered to be utilized overseas repeatedly.

However when officers searched the woman's home, her cellphone was found.

An individual also stated overhearing a disturbing sound in the flat, and screams of "mum" on the date the pair were presumed to have gone missing.

A broader official inquiry was started, with investigators finding multiple communications transmitted via the woman's phone—including a notice of quitting to her employer and texts to the 55-year-old suspect.

Law enforcement stated a four-figure sum was also moved to the individual.

A senior police official stated to reporters on recently that a rented space had been rented out before the vanishing and a cooling unit had been positioned inside.

The brothers extracted the appliance from the facility on the day the woman and her child vanished, Tersch revealed. And a shortly afterward, they obtained a second unit.

Investigators believe they consider this points to the fatalities were premeditated.

"The cause of death remains unclear due to the advanced decay of the victims," Tersch commented.

A legal representative—representing the state—noted the exact sequence of events is yet to be determined, but the remains were carefully placed and were not found during a previous house search.

Although the brothers were detained in the summer, it was not until 12 November that the elder brother admitted to an incident and to hiding the bodies. He disputes any murderous intent, officials stated.

Meanwhile, his younger brother confessed to a concealment but rejected awareness of a homicide.

The two suspects are at this time in detention before court proceedings in detention centers in Innsbruck and Salzburg, around 117 miles (189km) apart.

Through a combined announcement, the nation's official for women's affairs and the top legal representative stated the "alleged double murder... symbolizes the sudden and brutal end of two human lives and uncovers a heartless setup".

"Women and girls are falling victim to homicide due to the simple reality that they are female," they continued.

"Femicides are a profoundly embedded and widespread concern that we must combat firmly."